In an official notification, the NMC reported that foreign medical graduates are having difficulties getting their names registered at some state medical councils because of the ongoing evacuation of Indians from Ukraine and the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus. In a statement, the NMC emphasized that the provisions contained in the FMGL Regulations, 2021 would not be applicable if graduates acquired a foreign medical degree or primary qualification prior to November 18, 2021. This category also includes candidates who began their undergraduate medical education prior to November 18.
Foreign Medical Graduates(FMGs) who could not have completed their internships owing to “compelling situations” such as wars and Covid-19 will now be able to apply for internships in India if they pass the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE).
“In addition to the above, it has further been observed that there are also some Foreign Medical Graduates with incomplete internship due to such compelling situation which is beyond their control, such as Pandemic COVID-19 and war etc,” read the official NMC notification for the FMG.
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It further stated, “Considering the agony & stress faced by these foreign medical graduates, their application to complete the remaining part of an internship in India is considered eligible.”
“Accordingly, the same may be processed by State Medical Councils provided that the candidates must have cleared FMGE before applying for completion of internship in India,” added the notification.
As of current, for securing registration to practice medicine in India, the students pursuing MBBS abroad are required to do double internships–one in the country where they got the MBBS degree and again in India as per the NMC (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) regulation, 2021.
“Considering the agony and stress faced by these foreign medical graduates, their application to complete the remaining part of an internship in India is considered eligible. Accordingly, the same may be processed by state medical councils provided that the candidates must have cleared FMGE before applying for completion of internship in India,” the NMC said.
Guidelines For The Registration of FMGs For Internship
In the notice, the NMC has issued a detailed guideline for state medical councils while processing the case for grant of registration of FMGs:
- The medical qualification/degree must be registerable to practice medicine in their respective jurisdiction of the country in which the medical degree is awarded and at par with the license to practice medicine given to a citizen of that country.
- Documentary evidence certifying successful completion of physical training or internship during the medical qualification equivalent to MBBS, if conducted in a foreign institute.
- Copy of passport with VISA and immigration details
- Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) conducted by the National Board of Examination (NBE) should be cleared by the candidates seeking registration in India.
- If the candidate is found fulfilling all the above-mentioned criteria, provisional registration may be granted by State Medical Councils for a 12-month internship or balance period.
- The internship shall be permissible in a medical college hospital or hospitals attached to medical colleges, permitted by the Commission.
- The maximum quota for allocation of internships to FMGs must be restricted to an additional 7.5% of the total permitted seats in a medical college.
